PALMER: Five coaches who will NOT be next at LSU

By Hunt Palmer

Immediately following a firing, the next hire becomes the focus.

Oddsmakers have their say. Analysts and columnists join in. The fanbase ignites. A firing brings about hope from despair. When a football firing happens at Thanksgiving, the result of a search can be quick.

Brian Kelly was fired before Halloween. Translation: we’ve got some time.

Instead of lighting up a hot board that lists 10 coaches who might be in the discussion, I’m taking a different approach with five weeks of football left. Here’s a list of the coaches who will NOT be LSU’s next head football coach.

Nick Saban, ESPN

This is a fun talking point. The fires of Saban-hatred in Baton Rouge have cooled now that he’s cracking jokes on College Gameday instead of wrecking LSU’s season every November. He’s the greatest coach of all time, and in this era of portal overhauls, rebuilds can come quickly.

So, you don’t need him for five to seven years. He could give you three good ones, right? Wrong. Saban left because he didn’t like the culture of college football’s young people. They still demand dollars and can still leave without penalty if they’re unhappy. That hasn’t changed.

He also said he couldn’t work the hours he felt necessary. Do we think he’s found the fountain of youth two years later? Doubtful. Saban turns 74-years-old on Friday. He’s not going to be LSU’s next coach.

Dan Lanning, Oregon Head Coach

Lanning’s name has risen toward the top of college football. He’s in the discussion with Kirby Smart, Ryan Day and others as the best in the sport. He’s 42-7 at Oregon and 28-4 in league play. Lanning was an SEC coordinator at Georgia and also worked at Memphis and Alabama. He’s got some southeastern roots. But he’s blossomed in Phil Knight’s garden out west, and he’s not leaving.

Lanning has limitless funds from Nike, phenomenal facilities, a conference printing money and the goodwill of a passionate fan base (and mega-rich donor). He had probably the second-best team in the country last year and is in the mix this year, too. His only downside is travel. Recruits have to fly a long way to get to him, and his team has to fly cross country to conference games. Aside from that, Oregon has it all…except a title. He’s happy to be the one chasing that one.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator

Brady exploded onto the football scene when he helped take LSU from a punchline to a powerhouse offensively. Sometimes stars align, and he got as good a personnel group as has ever been assembled to work with, but he and Steve Ensminger made magic with it. He parlayed that into an offensive coordinator job at Carolina which was a mess, but he’s found more talent in Buffalo to cultivate another great offense around Josh Allen.

He’s 36-years-old and has never been a head coach. NFL coordinators make about $2 million annually. LSU can do a lot better than that. But Brady has never run an organization. He’s never hired a staff or run a practice. He’s also spent all of one season in college football, and a professional head coaching job may be around the corner for him as he hitches himself to the NFL’s most talented quarterback. Why leave Allen to come babysit a bunch of 19-year-olds who demand money and playing time or they’re leaving? And don’t we think there’s a good chance Buffalo plays into late January? That’s a tough timeline for LSU’s hire.

Kelvin Sheppard, Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator

Sheppard is a Tiger great. He was the heart and soul of a couple of John Chavis defenses before becoming a third round pick and playing eight NFL seasons. He joined the program under Ed Orgeron as director of development in 2020, and he was not offered an on field position the following season so he took a job with the Detroit Lions where he played his final NFL year. He’s worked his way up that organization to become the defensive coordinator, and his unit has played great football this year.

Sheppard is 37 and has also never been a head coach. Detroit is now one of the most steady organizations in the sport and off to a 5-2 start despite losing both coordinators in the offseason. If we think Brady is coaching into late January, Sheppard may be, as well. Both guys are so, so green in coaching and have timelines working against them.

Frank Wilson, LSU Interim Head Coach

Wilson’s Louisiana roots run deep. He’s worked at Tennessee and Ole Miss, but LSU is where his passion rests. He’s been a great assistant at LSU though never a coordinator. His head coaching record isn’t great. When the school needed him in the interim, he answered the call with plenty of football left….Any of this sound familiar? Wilson is a carbon copy of Ed Orgeron.

If hiring the interim head coach guaranteed another 2019, sign everyone up. It just doesn’t feel like a coach with a 26-40 record is going to get this job. Wilson is a massive asset to the LSU football program, and the next head coach would be foolish to let him walk out the door. I just don’t think he’s moving offices.